Galgamuwa will lead Sri Lanka at Rugby Asiad

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

Kandy Sports Club skipper Jeewa Galgamuwa was picked to lead Sri Lanka at the Singer Rugby Asiad which will be worked off from November 3 to 10, 2007 at CR and FC grounds and Royal College Sports Complex.

The National selection committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union comprising Anton Benedict (chairman) Norman Silva, Ravi Wijenathan, Lasitha Guneratne and Hemantha Yatawara which met on Wednesday unanimously decided to appoint Galgamuwa to lead the Sri Lanka team taking into consideration his leadership skills having led Kandy SC to victory in both the Caltex 'A' Division League and Clifford Cup knock-out Tournaments.

He also led his school Kingswood College and the Sri Lanka under 19 team at the Youth Rugby Asiad in Chinese Taipei a few years ago. The National Selection Committee also decided to omit Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Dushanth Lewke, Imran Bisthamin and Fazil Marija from the final squad of 23 players as they had missed ten practice sessions having left for France to watch the semi-finals and finals of the Rugby World Cup.

The four players who left for France after obtaining permission from the SLRFU returned to the country on Monday and attended practices on Tuesday and Wednesday and also passed a fitness test on Tuesday.

The 23-member squad will be submitted to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge today for approval.

The Sri Lanka squad for the Rugby Asiad. (Subject to approval by Sports Minister)

PROP FORWARDS - Jeewa Galgamuwa (Captain, Kandy SC), Kishore Jehan (Kandy SC), Shamil Mohamed (CR and FC),

HOOKERS - Achala Perera (CH and FC), Senthil Kumar (CR and FC)

LOCK FORWARDS - Senaka Bandara (Kandy SC), Sumedha Jayasinghe (Kandy SC), Henry Terrance (CR and FC).

FLANKERS - Kasun de Silva (CR and FC) Dilip Selvam (Kandy SC), Ashen Karthelis (CR and FC)

NO 8: Sumedha Malewana (CH and FC)

SCRUM HALVES - Amjad Buksh (CR and FC), Tuan Shamrock (CH and FC),

FLY HALVES- Saliya Kumara (Kandy SC), Ashan de Costa (CR and FC).

CENTRES - Pradeep Liyanage (Kandy SC), Lasintha de Costa (CR and FC), Avantha Hettiarachchi (CR and FC)

WINGERS - Dinesh Kumara (CR and FC), Lakala Perera (CH and FC),

FULL BACKS - Radhika Hettiarachchi (CR and FC), Dinuk de S. Wijeyaratne (CH and FC).